Greek tube spider

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Greek tube spider
Systematics
Sub-stem : Jawbearers (Chelicerata)
Class : Arachnids (arachnida)
Order : Spiders (Araneae)
Family : Tube spiders (Eresidae)
Genre : Real tube spiders ( Eresus )
Type : Greek tube spider
Scientific name
Eresus walckenaeri
Brullé , 1832

The Greek tube spider or Mediterranean tube spider ( Eresus walckenaeri ) is a web spider from the family of tube spiders (Eresidae). If you only consider the size of the adult females, then this Eastern Mediterranean species is the largest spider on mainland Europe . However, there is a significant difference in size between the two sexes.

features

With a body length of thirty to forty millimeters, the female of the Greek tube spider is about four times as large as the male, whose body length is between ten and thirteen millimeters and thus largely resembles the body length of other species of the real tube spider ( Eresus ).

Like all species of the real tube spider, the male has a distinctive coloration. It has a black prosoma (front body), the color of which merges into that of the opisthosoma (abdomen). The opisthosoma is colored orange and shows two pairs of black dots. The two front pairs of legs have a black basic color and black and white rings, the two rear pairs a red basic color and white or yellowish longitudinal stripes.

The female is colored black and has no drawing elements with the exception of an orange-red or orange-yellow colored band on the front and the flanks of the opisthosoma.

Similar species

Male of the red tube spider ( Eresus kollari )

While the female of the Greek tube spider can be clearly distinguished from those of other representatives of the real tube spider ( Eresus ) by its size, the males can be confused with other species of this genus. It resembles u. A. that of the red tube spider ( Eresus kollari ). One difference is the white or yellow longitudinal stripes of the fourth pair of legs in the male of the Greek tube spider, while the male of the red tube spider has white rings there.

Occurrence

The Greek tube spider inhabits the southern Balkan Peninsula ( Greece and Bulgaria ), the islands of the Aegean Sea , Turkey and the Middle East . The habitat of the species are dry and semi-shady areas, including stony slopes, southern wasteland, old olive groves, pine forests, but also dry grasslands, where the spider stays especially under stones.

Threat and protection

No information is available about a possible threat to the existence of the Greek tube spider. The species is not listed by the IUCN .

Way of life

The Greek tube spider, like all members of the family, creates a corresponding spider web for catching prey. This is almost tubular and usually appears pink. The safety net is preferably placed under stones and rocks, depending on the habitats inhabited by the species. In contrast to the related red tube spider ( Eresus kollari ) and the ring-footed tube spider ( Eresus sandaliatus ), the density of individuals of the Greek tube spider is usually low at the respective sites.

Phenology and reproduction

Adult males of the ring-footed tube spider can be found from April to June, mature females only in April and October. The reproductive behavior is largely similar to that of other species of the genus. After about a month, the female creates a disc-shaped egg cocoon. If the first cocoon is not fertilized, a second is created. The egg cocoon of the Greek tube spider contains significantly more eggs than those of the other real tube spiders ( Eresus ). The young animals leave their mother's shelter very early and spread via the so-called spider flight on the spider thread.

Systematics

The Greek tube spider was first described by Gaspard Auguste Brullé in 1832 as Eresus walckenaeri and was never placed in other genera. However, it has been renamed several times. These synonyms are:

  • Eresus audouin Brullé , 1832
  • Eresus theis Brullé , 1832
  • Eresus ctenizoides C. L. Koch , 1836
  • Eresus luridus C. L. Koch , 1836
  • Eresus puniceus C. L. Koch , 1837
  • Eresus pruinosus C. L. Koch , 1846
  • Eresus siculus Lucas , 1864
  • Erythrophora punicea Simon , 1864
  • Eresus puniceus Simon , 1873

Two subspecies of the Greek tube spider are recognized:

  • Eresus walckenaeri moerens C. L. Koch , 1846
  • Eresus walckenaeri walckenaeri Brullé , 1832

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Heiko Bellmann: The cosmos spider leader. Over 400 species in Europe. 2nd Edition. Kosmos Naturführer, Kosmos (Franckh-Kosmos), 2016, ISBN 978-3-440-14895-2 , p. 64.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h Eresus walckenaeri (Brullé, 1832) on the website of "Naturspaziergang" , accessed on February 21, 2020.
  3. ↑ a b c Eresus walckenaeri (Brullé, 1832) from araneae Spiders of Europe, by Wolfgang Nentwig, Theo Blick, Robert Bosmans, Daniel Gloor, Ambros Hänggi & Christian Kropf , accessed on February 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ a b Eresus walckenaeri (Brullé, 1832) at Global Biodiversity Information Facility , accessed on February 21, 2020.
  5. ↑ André Leetz: The family of Eresidae CL Koch, 1850 - Accounting attempt Eresus walckenaeri in an outdoor area , ARACHNE 20 (1), 2015, pp 14-25, accessed on February 21 2020th
  6. ↑ Eresus walckenaeri (Brullé, 1832) in the WSC World Spider Catalog , accessed February 21, 2020.

literature

Web links